Teenage rock band 'The Grickenz' play food-drive gig in Union for Sandy relief

The Grickenz: Christian Cabatu and brothers Nelson and Tommy Kelly, all from Union, are asking everyone coming to see their Nov. 21 show at Cafe Z in their hometown to bring non-perishable food in cans and boxes for Hurricane Sandy victims.

UNION — They play in a rock band performing cover songs by the Foo Fighters, The Beatles and Metallica. No band member is older than 16.

Meet “The Grickenz” — Christian Cabatu and brothers Nelson and Tommy Kelly. The band is putting on a food drive concert Wednesday night, Nov. 21, at Café Z in Union, where the three teenagers live.

Christian, 14, plays guitar and sings lead vocals. He attends Union County's UC Tech High School in Scotch Plains

Nelson, 16, is on the bass. He's enrolled at Union County Magnet High School, also in Scotch Plains.

And 14-year-old Tommy is the drummer. He goes to Roselle Catholic High School in Roselle.

“We were all in the same school beforehand,” Nelson said, referring to Holy Spirit School in Union. It was in the summer of 2011 that Nelson joined the band already started by Christian and Tommy.

How did they come up with that name, The Grickenz?

“My brother, Tommy, randomly named the band one day, and it stuck,” Nelson said by phone on Nov. 20.

“We have a decent following,” he said.

Band members are asking everyone coming to see them play starting about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, at Café Z, 2333 Morris Ave. in Union, to bring with them non-perishable food items in cans and boxes, as well as toiletry products like soap, shampoo and toothpaste. The band will be delivering the items to a charity for hurricane relief.

“We just wanted to help out the victims of Sandy,” Nelson said. “We saw it on the news. It looked sad and everything.”